Royal Rite of Passage
by Rabid-Cheetah
Summary: My first DBZ fic. Trunks has a secret that must be kept no matte what, especially from Vegeta. Unfortunately, Vegeta finds out, and Trunks is forced to reveal that he's more of a Saiya-jin than anyone previously thought.AU/maybe slight OOC.


Disclaimer: Trunks, Vegeta, Gohan, Goten, Goku, Bulma, and Videl are property of Akira Toriyama and Bird Studios.   
A/N: This is something I really, really wanted to write, and I had to take a few liberties in order to make it work. So before you start flaming, keep in mind that this fic is set in an alternate universe. Also, I wrote this around the time the Android Saga was translated, so a few of the characterizations might be a little off. Read, review, and have fun, but don't flame. 

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It was time. 

That evening, as the last dusky remnants of a beautiful sunset faded into a deep, diamond-studded darkness, Trunks stood at the window of his bedroom, thinking, planning. It would take place tonight. Around three o'clock in the morning, when most people are asleep. Eighteen years of this sort of thing had made the young Saiya-Jin an expert of sorts. He needed expertise, because he couldn't afford to get caught. 

As he had been doing for the past eighteen years, Trunks flew out of the window of his   
bedroom, around three in the morning as planned. He soared through the night sky, until he found the place he was looking for: a secluded spot in the woods he hoped no one knew about. This was the only place he could find that was appropriate for the task at hand. It was hidden far from any curious eyes, the most isolated area he could find out doors. The only place Trunks knew about that was even more private than the relatively clear area in the forest was his own bedroom. Unfortunately, any place indoors had to be ruled out, since the procedure involved bloodshed. 

Landing in the tiny clear area beneath a cluster of   
trees as tall as houses, the youth looked around carefully, probing the deep shadows with his mind, searching for the   
telltale ki of an onlooker. No one. He listened, pushing his Saiya-Jin hearing to its limits, but heard only the chirp of   
crickets, and the pounding of his own heart. 

So it went for eighteen years. Trunks never discovered anyone watching this most gruesome ritual, and hoped he never   
would. No one must know his secret. Especially not his father, Vegeta. The Saiya-Jin prince would be enraged at what his son had been up to all these years, and estrange himself even further. The one thing Trunks wanted more than anything, was a true father/son relationship with the former prince who had sired him.   


After making one last check on his surroundings, Trunks hurried to get painful the task over with. Bad enough his mother knew about it, but then again, that part really couldn't be helped. It was only a matter of time, Trunks thought, before Vegeta became suspicous, or was tipped off by someone else who had managed to escape Trunks' detection, and found out...   


A few minutes later, Trunks was gasping in pain, doubling over and summoning all his willpower to keep from   
screaming. Tears of agony stung his eyes. The smell of burnt flesh wafted around him. 

No matter how often he did this, no matter how much numbing gel he used, this part was always incredibly painful. For the thousandth time, Trunks wished he didn't have to go through this all the time. He also wished that, just once, the DragonBalls were available long enough for him to gather and use to make the first wish. But it seemed like every time Trunks set out to find the mystical orbs, they would always be lumps of stone, indicating recent use. 

No time to think about that now. Swallowing the pain, Trunks completed the gruesome task and prepared to leave. 

"And just how long has this been going on?" an angry voice behind him demanded. Startled, the young Saiya-Jin whirled around, to see Vegeta standing there, arms in their usual crossed position, black eyes glittering with barely-contained frustration. 

For a moment, Trunks was so stunned, he couldn't manage even to speak, and just stared, as the horrible truth sank in: Vegeta found out. 

"F...Father...I...what..." the purple-haired youth stammered uncomfortably. 

"I saw what you were doing," Vegeta confirmed. "And believe me, you were right in concealing the truth from me." His eyes narrowed. "It disgusts me to think that both my mate, and my own flesh and blood have been keeping something of this magnitude from me! I understand the woman's reasons for it, but you? Am I to believe that you don't want anything to do with your own heritage?" 

By this time, Trunks had recovered enough to speak. "That's not it at all!" he insisted. "It's strictly for practical purposes! You of all people should know what would happen if I didn't..." 

"Oh, I know what would happen," Vegeta interrupted. "You would be a true Saiya-Jin, able to complete the Royal Rite of Passage and prove yourself worthy to be called my son! You do remember the Royal Rite of Passage, don't you?" 

Trunks remembered the rite quite well, considering that his father had told him about it several times when the half-Saiya-Jin was a young child. It seemed that Vegeta never did get over the belief that his son was born human. 

"I remember," Trunks muttered. "I just don't need it to prove I'm a Sayia-Jin, or anything else." 

A tense silence. Then, Vegeta spoke; 

"You know, back when you were born, I had high hopes for you. I hoped that you would be a Saiya-Jin, with my genes prominantly displayed, as a sign of your superiority over mere humans." 

"I am a Saiya-Jin," Trunk interrupted, in a low growl. "But I'm also human. Why can't you just accept that?" 

Vegeta barely acknowledged his son's protests and continued, "I had been looking forward to having a child who was a true Saiya-Jin, just like his father, and what do I get instead?" He stomped a little closer toward Trunks, grabbing a lock or two of the youth's hair, it's lavendar-blue color inherited from his human mother. "I get a human son!" the arrogant prince finished with a heavy note of contempt, swatting the lock of hair aside disdainfully. 

Trunks ignored the sharp pain of his hair being pulled in that manner. It was nothing compared to the icy stabs of misery in his heart. This was his worst nightmare coming true; the father he wanted so desperately to have a genuine father/son relationship with was actually turning his back on him. 

"You hate being a Saiya-Jin, don't you?" Vegeta accused, his voice low and heavy with rage. "You resent the Saiya-Jin blood in your veins!" 

"No! I don't...!" Trunks insisted. 

"Then prove it!" Vegeta shot back. 

"Fine! I will!" Trunks declared, as he summoned his inner power, a power only a certain few Saiya-Jin were blessed with. The power flowed through his veins, permeating and transforming his body. His hair turned from its usual lavendar to a brilliant gold; his eyes became as green as summer leaves. A Super Saiya-Jin. A golden angel of destruction and power. Trunks addressed his father, "Isn't this enough? Isn't it enough to prove that I'm a Saiya-Jin and proud to be so?" 

Vegeta watched for a moment, the sneered, "No, as a matter of fact, it's not! We'll meet here again a few months from now. Be ready!" With that, Vegeta took to the sky in a fiery ki halo. 

Trunks sighed, powered down, and took off as well. How had Vegeta found out? The purple-haired Saiya-Jin pondered this as he flew toward home, and came to the conclusion that the former prince had long ago suspected something, and snuck up to the clearing while Trunks was distracted by the intense pain of the self-imposed torture he had to go through every now and then. 

As he approached his house, the youth pondered over whether he should do as Vegeta said and perform this unique ritual of the Royal Saiya-Jin family, or rebel and continue to live his life as he always had. The physical aspects of the ritual were among the top reasons why Trunks seared his own flesh and spilled his own blood every now and then; even the intense pain of this necessary evil was a minor inconvenience compared to what he would have to go through if he bowed to his father's wishes and went through with this obsolete practice. 

On the other hand, from the way things stood now, this "obsolete practice" was the one key to what Trunks had sought after his entire life: a true bond between Vegeta and himself. For all his life, Trunks had secretly burned with envy whenever he saw his best friend, Son Goten, being embraced or otherwise shown affection and paternal love by his father, Goku. If there was anything in this life Trunks wanted before he died, it was to receive the same caring and love from the arrogant Saiya-Jin prince who helped give him life. No matter how much love he showed to Vegeta, his father never seemed to return it. 

The purple-haired youth turned these thoughts over in his mind, hoping to pry a decision from them, but to no avail. He needed a third party's opinion, someone he trusted to talk this over with before acting. And Trunks knew exactly who this third party would be... 

*** 

The next week, Trunks flew over to visit his friend Son Gohan. Upon arriving, he was welcomed by his fellow half-Saiya-Jin and his wife, Videl. Trunks asked to talk to Gohan alone. They settled down at the kitchen table while Videl headed out, saying she had some shopping to do anyway. 

"I hope I eventually find a wife as wonderful as yours, Gohan." Trunks said with a smile. 

"Heh! Good luck! Women like that are a rare find! So, what did you want to discuss?" Gohan asked cordially. "And why with me, instead of your pal, Goten? Not that I don't welcome your company, of course!" The last comment had a small chuckle added to it. Trunks smiled, and said, "I don't think this is something I can talk to Goten about. Tell me," Here, he leaned forward. "What's it like to become an oozaru?" 

Gohan's friendly smile faded into a more thoughtful expression. "Why?" he asked. 

Trunks hesitated, then answered, "Well...I've heard of it, and, seeing that I'll never experience it on my own, I was curious." 

"Well," Gohan replied, "It's kinda been a while. I haven't turned Oozaru since I was very young, so my memory's a bit fuzzy. Physically, you're larger so you see everything from higher up. You also feel stronger and...I don't know...different. Your body just feels...alien. It's kinda tough to describe being an Oozaru to someone who's never actually lived it. Mentally, all your morals vanish, and destroying things suddenly sounds like a lot of fun." 

"I see." Trunks said, then asked, "What's the actual transformation like? It it painful?" 

"No, not really." was the answer. "It's uncomfortable, but not painful. Sort of on the edge, but not quite. It's like you almost expect it to hurt, but it never really gets that bad. Now, let me ask you something, Trunks." Gohan leaned forward and lowered his voice, "Why did you really ask?" 

Trunks stammered a bit, floundering for an answer. "I...I told you. I was curious." 

"No you're not. This has never concerned you before, and I see nothing that would trigger this curiousity now. Besides, your face is red, and you haven't made eye contact since we sat down. Both are signs that one is not telling the entire truth. What's the real reason?" 

Trunks knew then that he was caught, but still couldn't bring himself to confess something he had kept secret for all his life. He could only look down at the table, afraid to speak. Muscles twiched with anxiety, and he winced inwardly. 

Gohan, meanwhile, was running through all the reasons why Trunks would ask about going Oozaru, besides mere curiousity, when he glimpsed the slightest twitch of movement under Trunks' jacket, near his hip, so quick and small, he would never have seen it had his eyes not been looking at it at the time. 

"What the...?" Gohan muttered, leaning closer toward his friend. "What was that?"   


The purple-haired half-Saiya-Jin only grimaced, face red with shame, then said, "That, Gohan, is the real reason why I wanted to know what it's like to become an Oozaru." 

"Trunks," Gohan said softly, "Are you telling me...that you have a...a tail? 

Trunks nodded solomnly. 

"But...why didn't the rest of us know about it?" 

Trunks sighed in resignation, and explained, "Up until now, Mother and I have made all attempts to keep it hidden , and cut it off when it got long enough. We did everything we could to keep Father from finding out, but a few nights ago, I got careless. Last night, I went out to remove my tail, using a ki blast, but Father managed to sneak up on me while I was distracted with the pain. He discovered that I did have a tail after all, and was furious! He went on and on with this junk about me not wanting to be a Saiya-Jin, and...." 

Trunks realized he was babbling, reigned in his emotions, and regained control. Gohan, meanwhile, looked puzzled. Trunks took a few breaths to steady his emotions, then contintued, "So he wants me to prove I'm a true Saiya-Jin by undergoing the Royal Rite of Passage." 

"What's that?" Gohan asked. 

"It's where the member of the Royal Family of Vegeta-sei uses either an artificial full moon or the natural one, depending on the timing, to turn into an Oozaru. If they're able to control it, then they've proven that they the self-control or whatever that's needed to rule the planet effectively, and they ascend to kingship, or queenship. If not, then the prospective family member remains a prince or princess until they can control the Oozaru. Father told me all this. He was furious that I couldn't become an Oozaru. Or so he was made to believe." 

"No offense Trunks, but you're not exactly royalty! What's the point of proving worthy of the throne when there's no throne to prove worthy of? It just doesn't make sense!" 

Trunks shook his head, saying, "It's not about ascending to the throne exactly in this case. A tail is a sign of being a Saiya-Jin, and Father wants a Saiya-Jin for a son, not a human. As long as I'm incapable of becoming a big were-baboon, then I'm a human in his eyes, and, therefore, worthless to him." The youth's throat tightened painfully at those last words, and he struggled to keep the unshed tears from falling at the memory of his own father turning his back on his too-human son. 

Gohan was silent. 

"What about the permanent tail removal operation?" the older Saiya-Jin asked. "If you remove part of the backbone where the tail connects, it won't grow back. That's what Mom did for me, and my dad too." 

Trunks snorted ruefully, and told him, "Well, that's exactly what Mom did as soon as I was born." 

"And?" Gohan prompted. 

"Remember Dr. Irys? The one who did the operation on you? Or, at least, that's what Mom tells me." 

"Yeah?" 

"Well, turns out he retired a few weeks before I was born and they had this new guy do it." 

"He botched it." Gohan guessed. Correctly, it turned out. 

"He botched it." Trunks confirmed. "He had no idea what he was doing, and I can't say I blame him. Basically, not only did my tail grow back, but my backbone healed in such a way that now I can't remove the damned thing permanently without becoming a paraplegic in the process." 

The two sat in silence for a while. Finally, Trunks shook his head miserably, muttering, "I don't want to become an oozaru. I don't want to be a giant were-ape." 

"That's easy," Gohan said lightly. "No moon, no full moon. No full moon, no giant monkey." 

"It's not quite that easy I'm afraid." Trunks replied. "Remember, my dad still has that false-full moon technology." 

"I see. So when is this going to take place?" Gohan queried. 

"Two months from now," Trunks groaned. "And I can't say I'm too excited about it."   


*** 

Trunks watched unhappily as the shimmering, psuedo-moon floated from Vegeta's palm to hover far above the trees in the forest they were standing in. Ironically, it was the exact same place where Trunks had always gone to amputate his tail; now he was here to use it. 

"Well?" Vegeta prompted. Trunks refused to look at the small false moon. 

"I...I...no, I'm not going through with this!" the younger Saiya-Jin replied defiantly, shaking his head. "I don't need to prove to you that I'm your son! Or a true Saiya-Jin for that matter!" 

"Very well. Then I will change your mind!" With that, Vegeta turned his gaze upward toward the silver globe, his own tail quivering with barely-restrained anticipation. 

"I haven't been an oozaru in years." Vegeta said wistfully. "Let's see if I can still control it." He began to change. Trunks watched in horror as his father grew to ten feet...twenty feet...thirty feet high. A coat of brown fur layered the Saiya-Jin prince's skin as his face pushed outward into a grotesque muzzle. 

The transformation complete, Oozaru-Vegeta glanced downward at his offspring, grinning terribly. 

"Now, it's your turn, son." he intoned in a monstrously deep voice. 

"Forget it!" Trunks growled. 

"Trunks," Oozaru-Vegeta growled, lowering to all fours to address the stubborn youth, "I refuse to have a human for a son!" 

"ALL RIGHT!" Trunks roared. "All right! I'll do it! Bastard!" That last comment had been under his breath, accompanied by the hope that Vegeta didn't hear it. 

Reluctanly, the purple-haired youth turned to gaze at the false moon himself, chest and throat tight with fear of what was about to happen. I can't believe I'm doing this! he thought miserably, as the beast within him began to emerge. 

The first thing he felt was a strange, tugging sensation throughtout his body. As though someone had tied strings to his bones and were pulling them in seperate directions. 

Gohan was right; it was not painful, but it wasn't pleasant either. 

Trunks felt his bones and muscles stretching. The trees sank toward the ground, while the false moon dropped closer. His gums ached from an intense pressure, and his skin tingled as fur sprouted from it. His clothes were suddenly way too tight, bursting at the seams from their wearer's sudden growth. 

At this point, Trunks glanced downward, and managed to catch a glimpse of his reflection in a nearby puddle, and let out a low groan of terror and disgust. His body was stretched to twelve feet and increasing. His once handsome face was distorted by the long, arcing fangs that were growing from his mouth, and his fair skin was covered in a thin layer of fur. As Trunks watched, his hair grew down his back, fading to brown, and his eyes turned an evil shade of red. Trunks thought he would be sick from the grotesque image, the feeling swept aside by the new sensation of his facial bones flowing outward into an Oozaru's snout.... 

The great were-beast's destructive instincts surged through Trunks' mind before he could even realize that they were there. It was like a dam bursting, flooding his mind, and drowning all thoughts in the melee. The young Saiya-Jin was barely able to keep a grip on his sanity! Reason and logic fought against wild instinct and compulsion. Finally, Trunks could no longer resist the intense emotions of the creature that he had become, and could only give in.... 

Vegeta watched with pride as Oozaru-Trunks tossed his furry head back, baring his fangs in an animal-howl of pure rage and frustration. "Good job," he said proudly. "Good job!" 

The pride quickly gave way to dread as the beast that was Trunks raised its fists and howled once more, only this time, it was maniacal instead of merely angry. It looked around wildly, scarlet eyes hunting for something to destroy, something to kill. Finally, with a low growl, the giant monkey lumbered off toward the East...toward civilization. 

For a moment, Vegeta toyed with the idea of letting his son wreak havoc, possibly joining in on the fun...then realized that it was his Oozaru self that was doing the thinking, and headed off to try and stop whatever disasters from happening. 

"TRUNKS!" Vegeta cried, pouncing on the other Oozaru. Pinning the creature to the ground, he practically yelled into its pointed ear, "Trunks! Listen to me! The Oozaru instincts have control! You must fight them! Controlling your Oozaru form is just as important as actually being one. Do you hear me?!" Oozaru-Trunks only struggled, his great muscles twisting underneath his skin, and Vegeta wondered whether he would be able to get through. 

There's one way of doing it, he thought. With this, Oozaru-Vegeta bent down once more, and bit sharply into his son's furry neck. The taste of blood excited the Saiya-Jin prince's predatory instincts, and he dug his fangs even deeper before regaining control and letting go. 

The shock of the sudden sharp pain in his neck managed to penetrate the cloud of destructive intent surrounding Trunks' reasoning. His huge apelike body grew still, while in his mind he struggled to regain control. 

It was like waking from an intensely nightmarish dream. Trunks blinked, trying to pull his thoughts back into order. He ran his paws down his face, trying to clear his mind. As he did, he felt fur where there should have been skin, and nearly lost it all over again. 

Control, control, he thought. The ground was shaking beneath him...Trunks realized he was kneeling...Vegeta's paw touched his shoulder. "Are you ok?" the older Saiya-Jin asked with unusual gentleness. 

Trunks hesitated, then managed to get out, "There. I'm under control. I've made the rite of passage. Are you happy now?" It was hard, getting human speech between inhuman lips. 

Vegeta nodded, smiling. It was grotesque on the Oozaru's fanged muzzle. Standing tall and proud over his son, the Saiya-Jin prince declared, "Trunks, you are now a true Saiya-Jin, and worthy heir to the throne of Vegeta-sei. If there was a throne, or a Vegeta-Sei, for that matter," he added, traces of sadness and regret in his voice. Vegeta gently smoothed Trunks' fur, which had been mussed during their struggle, then turned and shot an energy blast toward the artificial full moon, obliterating it. 

Trunks gasped as he felt his body start to shrink. His fur thinned, then vanished, leaving only what was at the top of his head, which subsequently grew out and turned back to its original lavender. His claws and fangs changed back into nails and teeth respectively, while his muzzle retracted and reshaped itself into a human face. 

Exhausted, the now-humanoid Trunks slumped to the ground. Vegeta, who had changed back as well, settled down next to him, keeping an eye on him. 

Vegeta had had enough experience in becoming an Oozaru to know that one should remove one's clothing before getting too large for them, so he had a near-intact outfit to put back on. Trunks, on the other hand, had to make do with the scraps and rags that used to be his clothing. 

Fully dressed, the two settled down to rest, both submitting to the weariness that accompanies becoming an Oozaru. Trunks' eyes felt as though someone had attached weights to them, and his body was nearly paralyzed with exhaustion; he laid down on the ground, using his ruined clothes to keep himself warm and decent, while the remains of his jacket served as a pillow. He felt someone's eyes staring at him, and glanced up to see Vegeta gazing almost thoughtfully at his face. 

"Something wrong?" the youth asked almost testily. Vegeta smiled slightly, and replied, "I just now noticed just how much you look like me. Maybe the woman's genes didn't completely ruin your appearance after all." 

So this is what it took, Trunks thought tiredly, as he curled his tail around his waist. I had to allow this monster inside me to escape in order for Father to finally...He fell asleep before he could finish the thought. 

So that's how it went that night. Trunks slept soundly all night long, while Prince Vegeta sat next to him, keeping vigil over his beloved son until the morning came, announcing its arrival with orange and pink banners that stretched across the sky. 


End file.
